Excavator.



H. 11. HARRIS;

BXOAVATOB APPLIOATIOH IILBID JAN. 81,1911.

1,002,148. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

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' APPLIOATIOI IILED JAN. 31, 1911. 1,002, 148. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' HOLLIS H. HARRIS, F LORAIN, OHIO.

EXCAVATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IIOLLIS HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Excavators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide an excavating apparatus in such form that the dipper or scoop may take a proper variety of courses of travel to meet the various conditions of actual use. With my mechanism, for example, the scoop may be caused to travel forwardly approximately horizontally in digging, and then may raise its load through a path rapidly approaching the vertical for discharge, which is desirable in excavating for basements, sewers, etc. Also, in excavating from the side of a bank of earth, in case the earth caves in or falls into the natural path of the scoop, my scoop may be caused to travel inwardly over such portion and then be lowered and act at the ase thereof without changing the position of the boom or its support. In accomplishing this desired control of the dipper, I provide it with two handles or stems, each of which has a rack engagement with a pinion on. the boom, and I provide suitable brakes or holding devices for these pinions, so that either may be held or both may be free. In this manner, the dipper may swing about the center of either plnion which is held, the other handle moving idly past its pinion, or it may take a path which is the result of both handles moving past their pinions. By this means I am enabled to vary the travel of the scoop to accomplish very effective operation. Furthermore, I am enabled to increase the efliciency of the operation, saving power, or increasing the load carried, because, by reason of the two handles, I may obtain a larger component of effective pull at thestarting of the operation, when the greatest strain comes.

My invention is illustrated in the draw ings hereof and is hereinafter more fully described and its essential characteristics set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my excavating apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan-like view of the boom and the mechanism it carries, being in a plane parallel with the upper sur- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 31, 1911.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Serial No. 605,816.

face of the boom; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the forward portion ofthe boom showing the dipper in various positions and illustratmg 1ts range of travel; Fig. 5 is a detail, being an enlarged section through the boom and through the pinion which cooperates with the forward handle, as indicated by the lines 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring first to what may be called the frame of the excavator shown, 10, represent a pair of outwardly facing channel beams which, with suitable distance pieces, constitute the boom. This boom is pivotally mounted at its lower end at 11 to the base 12 of the superstructure, which is swivelly mounted on the truck 9. The boom is tied at its upper end by a tie-rod 13 leading to the superstructure, 14, within the cab, 15, indicates any suitable winding mechanism and 17 a pair of winding cables leading therefrom over the sheaves 16 carried at the other end of the boom, these two cables being secured at their lower ends to a yoke 18, which is connected with the bucket or scoop. It is to be understood that the construction so far described may be of any approved form, though I regard it as preferable to have the boom made with a longitudinal opening through it, as provided by two spaced beams 10.

Mounted on the upper edges of the boom beams, 10, comparatively near the outer end of the boom are brackets 20, in which isjournaled an axle 21 carrying a pinion 22. Similarly mounted on the upper face of the boom beams 10, but nearer the lower end thereof are brackets in which is ournaled an axle 31 on which is a pinion 32.

indicates" the dipper or scoop. Connected. with this dipper are two handles 41 and 42, or sticks, as they are sometimes called, leading therefrom at an acute angle to each other. Each handle has on its rear edge a rack, as 43 and 44, and these racks mesh respectively with the pinions 22 and 32. Each rack is held in engagement with its pinion by a stirrup 45 or 46 mounted on the corresponding axle and extending on opposite side of the stick, and across its opposite edge. At such opposite edge each stirrup is preferably extended upwardly and downwardly, as illustrated, to provide a good sliding bearing for the corresponding stlck.

The means shown for securing the two di per handles to the dipper comprise a suitb le foot-piece 50 on the lower end of the handle, 41, which is secured at 51 to the dipper, while the other handle is pivotally secured at 52 to this foot member 50. The securement of the foot member to the dipper is conveniently by a pin and ear connection, the dipper being additionally secured to the member 50 by the links 56 secured by ears to the forward portion of the dipper and to the sides of the foot 50.

58 illustrates a cross member, which, is pivoted at its lower end to the dipper, and, at its upper end, is pivotally connected wlth the yoke 18 with which the cables 17 connect. The connection at the lower end of the member 58 may conveniently be on the same pins and by the same cars which con nect the bars 56, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the construction described it will be seen that the winding in of the cable 17 by the drum 14 may swing the dipper either about the axis of the pinion 32 or the axis of the pinion 22, according to which pinion is held against rotation, the dipper swinging about the axis of the held pinion, and the other handle moving through the corresponding stirrup and rotating the corresponding pinion.

To control the two pinions I provide a brake mechanism, which will now be described.

On the axle 21 outside of its bearings are a pair of wheels 24 and 25. On the axle 31 is a wheel 35 shown as being in alinement with the wheel 25. Surrounding the wheels 25 and 35 are bands 26 and 36 respectively, the ends of which are connected to suitable bell cranks 27,37. The lower ends of the two bell cranks are connected by a rod while the lower end of the crank 37 is connected by a rod 38 with an operating lever 39. It will be noted that the points of connection of the ends of the straps 26 and 3G with their corresponding bell cranks are respectively reversed. Accordingly, a movement of the compound link 28, 38, by the lever 39 uperates to tighten the grip on one wheel and correspondingly loosen it on the other. Accordingly, the lever 39 provides means for lockin either pinion against rotation, the other ein free, while in the intermediate position 0 this lever both pinions are free.

I have referred to a second wheel 24 on the axle 21. Aroundthis wheel is a brake band 29 connected by a rod 60 with a suitable operating device, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 3, as consistin of a treadle 61 pivoted to the lower end 0 the boom. This treadle and connecting mechanism serves the purpose of clamping or releasing the pinion 22 but has no effect on the pinion 32.

By means of the two levers 39 and 61, I may clamp either pinion, or I may have both free or both clamped, as desired. The lever 39 is the one which is ordinarily used in transferring the strut support for the scoop from one pinion to the other, the treadle being used, ordinarily only when necessary to hold the load, while the lever 39 is moving through the intermediate position where it frees both pinions.

Fig. 4 illustrates, by way of example, a course of travel which the scoop may be given by my mechanism. In this View, when the scoop 40 is in the position shown in full lines, the rearmost pinion 32 is clamped and the foremost pinion 22 is free and the bucket swings forwardly with the handle 42 acting as the strut into the position shown at 40. It will be seen that in this movement a larger component of the pulling force on the cables 17 is availed of than if the scoop swung about the axis of the pinion 22, and as this starting point is the place where the most power is required for a given load, it will be seen that my system economizes power, or conversely, enables a larger load to be lifted with a given power. The bucket swinging from position 40, in Fig. 4, to position 40 travels through a short lowermost portion of an are about the center of the pinion 32, so that this travel is nearly horizontal. When the bucket has reached substantially the point illustrated at 40*, the pinion 22 is clamped and a pinion 32 released and the bucket swings forwardly into the position 40 about the axis of the pinion 22 as a center. Accordingly, the bucket has traveled from the position 40 to the position 4O with a digging edge in a substantially horizontal plane. Now, in raising the bucket to the position shown at 40, it is convenient to again change the center of swing to the axis of the pinion 32, thus lift the bucket more nearly vertical than would be the case if it was swung about the pinion 22. It may happen, as the bucket is coming into the position 40, that the bank has caved in somewhat, so that the bucket cannot be lowered after being dumped through the are by which it was raised. To provide for this contingency, the raising cable may be held and the lever 39 thrown to its intermediate position to release both pinions, causing the bucket to swing inwardly about some point on the periphery of the wheels 16 as a center, and as the bucket swings inwardly by momentum behind its point of support, the clamping of the pinion 22 and the release of the pinion 32 may bring the bucket substantially into the position shown at 40 From this it may be lowered, by holding the pinion 32 and releasing the pinion 22, and then releasing both pinions, into the original position shown at 40. It will accordingly be seen that on the return movement the bucket may be caused to clear a very decided amount of mate-rial falling from the face of the bank, which with an ordinary apparatus (not equipped with driving power on the pinion, which means each load may be made in the path best suited for scooping up and raising that load and for avoiding obstructions in returning.

Furthermore, in addition to this very desirable result, I obtain a decrease in the power necessary to excavate a given load.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. The combination, with a scoop and its raising mechanism, of two struts for the scoop, means for slidably guiding each strut, and means .for locking either strut as desired.

2. The combination of a scoop, flexible raising mechanism therefor, a plurality of struts connected with the scoop, means for slidably guiding said struts, and means for looking or releasing them as desired.

3. The combination, with a scoop and. its

raising mechanism, of a pair of struts connected with the scoop, and mechanism for alternately locking either strut and concurrently releasing the other strut.

4. The combination, with ascoop, a pair of struts connected with the scoop and extending at an acute angle to each other and pivoted with relation to each other adjacent to the scoop, and means for rendering either strut active and the other idle as desired.

5. The combination, with a scoop and its raising mechanism, of a pair of struts connected With the scoop and each individually guided, and mechanism for rendering either strut active and the other idle or freeing them both as desired.

6. In an excavating mechanism, the combination of a boom, a sheave carried thereby, a flexible raising member passing over the sheave, a pair of handles connected with the scoop, and means on the boom for engaging and holding either handle as desired.

7. In an excavating mechanism, the combination of a boom, a plurality of pinions mounted thereon, means for holding either pinion, a scoop, and a plurality of handles therefor having racks engaging their respective pinions.

8. In an excavating mechanism, the cmbination of a boom having a longitudinal slot, a scoop, a pair of handles rising therefrom at an acute angle to each other and pivotally mounted at their lower ends with reference to each other, said handles passing through the slot in the boom, and means carried by the boom for engaging and holding either handle as desired.

9. In an excavating mechanism, the combination of a boom having a longitudinal slot, a scoop, a pair of handles rising therefrom at an acute angle to each other and pivotally mounted at their lower ends with reference to each other, said handles passing through the slot in the boom, a pair of pinions carried by the boom engaging racks on the corresponding handles, and means for holding either pinion.

10. In an excavating mechanism, the combination of a boom having a longitudinal slot, a scoop, a pair of handles rising therefrom at an acute angle to each other and pivotally mounted at their lower ends with reference to each other, said handles passing through the slot in the boom, means carried by the boom for engaging and holding either handle as desired, racks on said handles respectively, a pair of pinions engaging said racks, shafts carrying said pinions, bearings on the boom on opposite sides of the slot for said shafts, and stirrups mounted on said shafts and embracing the handles respectively.

11. In an excavating mechanism, the combination of a boom, a scoop, a plurality of handles therefor, a plurality of mechanisms on the booms for engaging the respective handles, locks for the respective mechanisms, and an operating lever connected with such locks.

12. The combination, with a boom, of a plurality of rotatable pinions carried there by, a scoop, a plurality of handles therefor having racks engaging the respective pinions, brakes adapted to hold the respective pinions against rotation, a lever, and mechanism connecting it with the respective brakes.

13. In an excavating mechanism, the combination, with a scoop and its raising mechanism, of a pair of handles for the scoop, a pair of mechanisms for engaging the respective handles, means for alternately locking either of said mechanisms and releasing the other, and an additional lock for one of said mechanisms.

14. The, combination, with a scoop and its raising mechanism, of a pair of struts for the scoop, each having a rack, a pair of pinions engaging the respective racks, brakes for the two pinions, mechanism for alternately applying the brake to one pinion and releasing it from the other, and an additional brake for one of the pinions.

15. In an excavating mechanism, the combination of a boom, two independent pinions carried thereby, a scoop, two handles therefor having racks engaging the respective pi nions, brakes for the respective pinions, a lever connected with both brakes and adapted to alternately apply one and release the other, an additional brake for one of the pinions, and a lever for operating that brake.

16. In an excavating mechanism, the combination, with a support, of a boom carried thereby and having a longitudinal slot "a scoop, a pair of struts for said scoop extending therefrom at an angle to each other and passing through said slot, each strut being provided with a rack a pair of shafts carried by the boom crosswise of its slot,

pinions onsaid shafts meshing with the two racks respectively, brake wheels on said shafts, an operating lever and connecting mechanism for applying a brake to either Wheel and releasing it from the other, an additional brake Wheel on one of said shafts, and mechanism for applying a brake to that wheel and releasing it.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I HOLLIS H. HARRIS. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, BRENNAN B. Wnsr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, n. o. p 

